Pence says he can't defend Trump's comments

Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence planned to pull out of representing Donald Trump at a campaign event in Wisconsin today and instead will let Trump answer himself for his sexually aggressive comments about women.

Author:
WCNC Staff

Published:
1:26 PM EDT October 8, 2016

Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence planned to pull out of representing Donald Trump at a campaign event in Wisconsin today and instead will let Trump answer himself for his sexually aggressive comments about women.

“I do not condone his remarks and cannot defend them,” Pence said in a statement. “We pray for his family and look forward to the opportunity he has to show what is in his heart when he goes before the nation tomorrow night.”

Pence’s statement did not address the campaign event in Wisconsin. But a source familiar with the plan confirmed to IndyStar that Pence no longer planned to attend.

Indiana’s governor was to replace Trump after U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan called off Trump’s appearance following the publication Friday of a 2005 recording of Trump obtained by NBC News and the Washington Post.

“I'm automatically attracted to beautiful women — I just start kissing them, it's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything," Trump said into a hot mic. "Grab 'em by the (expletive)."

Trump planned to hole up in his Manhattan tower for debate prep on Saturday, even as a parade of Republicans denounced his comments --and some called on him to step aside as presidential nominee.

Trump announced Saturday he has no plans to leave the race, even though a rising number of Republicans urged him to do just that.

"I've never said I'm a perfect person, nor pretended to be someone I'm not," Trump said in a video statement and Facebook posting addressing the incident. "I've said and done things I regret, and the words released (Friday) on this more than a decade-old video are one of them."